Karachi Police Chief Shahid Hayat. PHOTO: FILE
Karachi police chief Shahid Hayat has refuted the MQM’s complaints that the party is being targeted in the operation in the city.
Speaking to Shazeb Khanzada in Express News programme ‘To The Point’, Hayat said that if the operation were focused on certain parties, then members of the Taliban or other criminal groups would not have been killed or arrested during the operation. “There can be mistakes during a large-scale operation,” he admitted, “And we have formed a joint committee of Rangers and police to look into individual cases.”
The operation ‘should continue’, Hayat said, adding that ‘if it is stopped at this stage, it will be very bad for the city’.
Since the launch of the operation, 640 people accused of murder have been arrested, according to Hayat; these arrests include those who have been members of criminal gangs and political or religious groups simultaneously. Additionally, 400 cases have been sent to the Anti Terrorism Courts.
He denied that he associates only one particular party when it comes to cases of extortion. “I have mentioned the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and the Aman Committee as well. We will take action regardless of whether the criminal belongs to Azizabad or Lyari or Sohrab Goth,” he said.
The police have received their greatest support from political parties, Hayat said, as there is greater awareness among the upper echelons of administration that ‘the situation in Karachi needs to be corrected’. However, he said the current situation in the city is deplorable and it will take a significant period of time to address issues. “I have serious issues with the number of police personnel,” he said. “The proportion of police to the population is very low compared with New Delhi, Bombay, New York or even Lahore.” Discussing the police’s relationship with Rangers personnel, Hayat said the two ‘complement each other’ and emphasized that the greatest problem facing the police currently is the low number of officials within the force.
The police chief went on to discuss his working relationship with the province’s chief minister, saying, “I have no interference from the CM and he has never asked me to refrain from taking action in Lyari.” He said the Sindh government has allocated Rs 20 million to reward police officers and he has distributed the amount based on merit.
Discussing the rate of success for police operations, he pointed out, “We have been able to intercept many acts of terrorism that could have been catastrophic and broken many terrorist networks.” Additionally, the proliferation of illegal mobile SIMs from South Africa, India and Afghanistan are very problematic, he added. Hayat commented that ‘the Karachi police was heavily influenced’ by an individual currently on the run, saying that red warrants for his arrest would be issued soon.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 13th, 2014.
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I am rendering services as English Language Teacher and an interviewer for a local newspaper. Mr. Shahid Hayat, Allah has gifted you this job, respect, fame, money so, be thankful to Him. i hope you are a true Muslim who knows the accountability of the day of judgment. Question to yourself if you are an honest police officer. I think you are doing well. i think you are a true person.
If you are not true, if you are making fool the nation, if you are working on any negative agenda Allah is not with you. you will have to face the music.
MQM has not been in power period , few ministries does not allow full reforms , by the way what qouta system is applied in punjab , i am not aware of , do people lahore are admitted at higher marks than other rural areas , rather students from the whole provinve under go to same criteria and merit. MQM had a gigantic task , when it took the responsibility of speaking for marginalised and deprived population of urban sindh , first the identity issue , which is by great struggle we now have okay, that is we seen as one demogarphic entity , they working against the tide therefore substantial success takes more time cant you see most members of MQM are middle class qulified people, had we been given real power difference could be more vsisble , wasnt it there for every one to see during MUSTAFA KAMAL era in karchi .Why should not be PIA relevant it is just one example , during its days of developement and progress mainly urdu speaking people were employed on merit , it soon went to downward slide when sons of the soil were inducted on ethnicity and not merit.It is in every field that our fathers and grand fathers bulid institutions and organizations and when they became up and running , sons of the soil came to take over our hard labour Now your point about urdu speaking people in high places they are very few in comparision to high number of qualified professional we have in this community . who are mostly emplyed in private sector which recruits on merit and ability. Also i wish to point out pakistani people who are employed outside pakistan , if we look at ehthnic compostion more urdu speaking people are in high and professional positions, where as most punjabis are in low level less skilled jobs hardly pathnas and sindhis are in the west , pathans only have been working in the middle east mostly low skilled construction sites . This clearly indicates that urdu speaking people are most qualified and skilled group among all ethnicites that we have in pakistan .And we are denied our true rights very systematically , i hoipe if we look at these facts with prejudice , one will understand how we the urdu speaking people feel ,another example AGHA kHAN UNIVERSITY , go and check ethnicity of students in the medical college , mostly karachiites because admissions are based on merit.
@mrs ahmed: Please ask your elected leaders what have they done for you guys. They have been in the government for as long as I can remember. There is quota system in Punjab as well as Baluchistan. I am not sure whether PiA is relevant for this topic but I agree the PPP has corrupted the institution. I know of many Urdu speaking Pakistanis who are in excellent top positions. If there is so much bias these guys will not be where they are. So please think more about what can you do for your country then what the country can do for you. Peace
@Karachiwala: yes we are not victim , but can yo please explain and justify qouta system only in sindh , do we not have rural deprivation in other provinces.Is it difficult to understand that rural urban qouta is against urdu speaking urban sindh. I am amazed at such injustice.And it is known through history that lasting peace is delivered through equality and justice.Our fathers and grand fathers tolied and worked hard to build karachi since 1947 , and by mid 70s a systematic and gradual exclusion from jobs and administration is going on.Today we are all reminising about PIA of 60s , go do a research ,and check the ethnicity of emplyees during that era.Come 70s and Bhutto started recruitment against merit and the today we have dismal state of PIA
@mrs ahmed: Your comments make no sense. You have been in the government for as long as I can remember so how can you say you have no rights. You should go and ask your elected leaders what have they do for you. When police take action against militants who happen to be part of of MQM wing you have a problem but when they take action against any other party you guys say we told you so. Please stop treating yourself as a victim after all these years. You are not.
@fus: I am sorry but it's people like you who are in denial. All the parties have militant wings and to say MQM is innocent and is not involved in Bhatta and killings is living in a fools paradise.
If MQM is not being singled out then they should be. After all they're the ones responsible for most of the violence in the city for the last three decades
@iram: your brave man is indicted in murder of Murtaza Bhutto
Its a painful and bitter fact that migration to Pakistan was a mistake of our great grandfathers; People have not accepted us yet! We are not Sindhis! Period!
Pakistani community in US and UK is a Pakistani community, but Pakistanis are too closed minded to accept the people who gave their lives for this county as their fellow country men with equal rights. And they talk about Kashmir.
The fact, that he has to provide justification is sadful engough. As a Karachiite, I can only hope that our police becomes impartial some day.
Why not respite then? Why MQM people are frequently picked up and yet, we see goons (clearly, other ethnic population) looting and kidnapping people? Why Lyari is off limits? Why whole of Karachi suburbs is no-go area for any shareef admi?
I do not trust any force leader who is already involve in extrajudicial murder of brother of former premier.
So how many arrests made from the workers of the other parties? We need stats.
We know ANP's role in law and order situation, but this gentleman has yet to show any arrest of Bacha Khan's "peaceful worker".
Criminals are criminals and they should not be given any relief under the cover of political parties. The operation against criminals and anti-social elements must continue with iron-hands without succumbing to any political pressure or undue criticism. The Police Chief should know that he is accountable to Almighty Allah, and on the day of judgment he cannot give any excuses by saying that he failed in his prime duty of protecting the lives and properties of innocent people due to the political pressures. He should do his duty honestly and efficiently and if there is any undue pressure, he should simply relinquish or disassociate himself from this position, so that he can save himself from the wrath of Almighty Allah. Secondly, the Police Chief try to find black sheep in his own ranks, which have been inducted by the political parties, who wrestle for control over the city for number of years. These black sheets are working as informers and contribute in the failure of Police in its prime duty of maintaining law and order situation in the city. If there is a will on the part of the Government, the day is not far off, when Karachi will again be a peaceful city, as it was before eighties. Wish you all the best Mr. Shahid Hayat.
Brave man! May Allah be with you!
ET will not post it as usual!
Brave man, there is no shortage of brave officers, they just need support of government.
This man's appointment as chief was illegal. It is still being fought in court. He authorized arrest and torture of an MQM leader on wedding day. While Barat was en route. He could have arrested the man 2 days later, or 3days later. But not on wedding day. Nobody believes him.
being Pathan poice officer,you targeted only MQM...no ANP worker were arrested,still Lyari gangsters are active and killing innocent people